


Reverse Psychology

by Wonko



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F, Now Edited, ancient story, everything old is new again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 06:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13898670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonko/pseuds/Wonko
Summary: Janeway and Seven have a conversation after Velocity about this little crush of Seven's. The Captain needs to nip it in the bud...Written in around 2000 or 2001, newly edited and slightly expanded.





	Reverse Psychology

**Author's Note:**

  * For [booasaur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/booasaur/gifts).



The Velocity disc spun away from Kathryn Janeway’s phaser beam on an erratic track.  Bouncing off the walls and picking up speed as it went, the disc travelled swiftly towards her opponent.

Seven seemed surprised by the move, most probably because it was clear she had not been concentrating at the time. The disc caught her squarely in the chest, and although it was a holographic projection and unable to do her any actual harm, she was still bowled over by the virtual shock of it.

“Are you all right, Seven?” Janeway cried anxiously, drowning out the crisp tones of the computer announcing that Janeway had won her twentieth consecutive match.

“I am undamaged Captain,” replied Seven. She winced as she reluctantly grasped Janeway’s outstretched hand and pulled herself up, seemingly annoyed by the show of weakness it suggested.

Janeway eyed her Astrometrics officer narrowly. She’d noticed this kind of thing happening more and more just recently – the typically calm and focused young woman being caught off guard: in staff meetings, at social events and, lately, during Velocity matches.

That morning Chakotay had decided to bring the matter up with her, in his typically… _subtle_ …manner.  She had informed him rather crisply that she was perfectly aware of Seven’s recent behaviour and of the reasons behind it.

Of course, all Captains were trained in the art of quashing a crush. It was inevitable, really - like the crushes adolescents got on teachers. It was natural, but it needed to be nipped in the bud for everyone’s sake. Especially with someone like Seven - innocent and somewhat naive still, despite her fierce intelligence.

“Seven, we need to talk,” Janeway announced suddenly, surprising Seven for what was evidently the second time that day.

“Indeed, Captain.  What do you wish to discuss?”

“Us, Seven.  Our…situation.”

“I see.  Could you be more specific?”

Janeway sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.  This was not going to be an easy discussion but it was definitely necessary.

“How do you feel about me Seven?”

The Borg quirked an eyebrow.  “Truthfully?”

“Of course.  Why would you think otherwise?”

A small, almost imperceptible smile stole across her lips . “I have noticed that while humans claim to appreciate honesty, they are often disturbed when they get it.”

That drew a rueful chuckle. “Well, I promise I won’t be disturbed.”  Janeway smiled a little. “Now answer my question.”

“Very well.  I believe the correct designation for the emotion I feel for you is…love.”

Janeway visibly paled. That was a little stronger than she’d been expecting. “There’s more than one kind of love,” she found herself saying.

Seven inclined her head in agreement. “Romantic love,” she clarified. Janeway opened her mouth to reply, but Seven spoke again before she had the chance. “However I came to the conclusion long ago that you are a completely unsuitable partner for me. While I may not be able to control my…feelings…for you, I can assure you that I have no desire to change the parameters of our current relationship.”

Janeway let that response roll over her. She wasn’t entirely sure how it made her feel. Her chest felt a little tight. Could it be the exertion of the Velocity match? They’d stopped playing a full minute ago, though.

“Are you all right, Captain?”

Janeway snapped her head up. “I’m fine Seven,” she said smoothly, keeping her voice level with studied nonchalance. “I’m just a little surprised that you feel so strongly that we’re incompatible.”

She found that her heart rate had not yet begun to return to normal. She had thought she was reasonably fit, for her age at least. Nothing compared to the tall, lithe, technologically enhanced woman standing a few feet away from her with her golden hair tousled and her skin covered in a light sheen of sweat that her nanoprobes had yet to take care of, but not too bad. Perhaps she needed more time in the gym.

“I simply formed a judgement based on available data,” Seven said. “You are a woman, for a start.”

Janeway scoffed. “That doesn’t mean we’re incompatible.  I’ve had relationships with women in the past.”

She’d heard that The Doctor had provided Seven with a list of only male options for dating, like some kind of mid 20th-century dinosaur. Apparently he’d been following a guide book designed for American teenagers circa 1955. It was important that the young woman realised there were more choices. Informing her of that was the only responsible course, both as her Captain and her friend.

“I had considered that,” Seven replied. “There are other objections, however.  Would you like me to list them?”

Janeway raised her right eyebrow and leaned against the holodeck wall.

“Feel free.”  

Seven’s posture stiffened and she rested her hands behind her back in her customary pose when reciting facts.“There is the fact of our respective positions on this ship.  You are the captain and I am a subordinate. Any relationship between us would violate Starfleet protocol.”

Janeway thought, briefly, of all the Starfleet protocols she’d bent or broken since they became stranded in the Delta Quadrant. If she’d always followed the rules, she and Seven would never have met.

“Seven, the rulebook was not exactly written for our situation. Besides, you’re not even a member of Starfleet.”

Seven nodded. Her hair fell across her face and Janeway was struck with the sudden urge to run her fingers through it and push it behind her ear. Her fingertips tingled with the force of the desire.

“Very well, I concede that point,” Seven continued. “However, perhaps the rest of the crew would be resentful of me if we were in a romantic relationship.  They would suspect favouritism, perhaps – and that may undermine your authority.”

Janeway considered that. She thought that once, perhaps, that might have been true. In the early days, when the Maquis crew were barely integrated, it had been important for her to keep her distance. And of course she had been faithful to Mark, waiting patiently for her back home. Until he got tired of waiting and moved on. And perhaps when Seven had been newly arrived, belligerent and intransigent and breaking every rule, there would have been murmurs. But those days were in the past and Seven was fully integrated into this little family, her new ‘collective.’

Would having a romantic partner weaken her authority? Janeway considered the question. It couldn’t possibly make her look worse than being caught having sex with a hologram in a communal holodeck program. And the crew still seemed to be following her orders, even after all that.

“I think I’ve built up enough trust over the last six years that I can have a relationship with whomever I choose,” she said slowly. “The crew know me well enough to know I would never let personal feelings interfere with my duty to them.”

Seven raised an eyebrow a little. “I believe you are correct, Captain,” she said. “However there is one more objection which I do not believe you can answer.”

“Oh really?” Janeway said with a sort of grin. She was enjoying the debate and had almost forgotten she was supposed to be nipping this all in the bud. “And what would that be?”

“Simple, Captain,” said Seven and her voice even seemed to falter a little.  “You do not love me.”

The air seemed to leave Janeway’s lungs in a rush and she was silent, staring at Seven as if she’d never seen her before. A strange, unfamiliar emotion rushed to fill her chest, causing her heart to ache as if this feeling were something tangible and real that could expand and contract in time with her pulse. A voice in her head was screaming at her to be careful, to stop, to breathe, to _think_ before she spoke. But she didn’t.

“I **do** love you, Seven,” she whispered, completely ignoring the protests of her mind and and instead – for once – listening to the protests of her heart.

Seven smiled.  It was a lovely smile: perfect, bright, beautiful.

“I am gratified to hear that…Kathryn.  I believe you have convinced me that we are suitable partners after all.”

She walked over to where Janeway was standing and took her face in her hands.

“I am going to kiss you now…” she whispered against Janeway’s slightly parted lips.

And as she did so – with far more skill than one would have expected – Kathryn Janeway only spared a moment to wonder what the hell she had just talked herself into.

But pretty soon she wasn’t thinking rationally about anything at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Whooooooo boy, I wrote this when I was 17 you guys. All my Voyager fic from the before times has dropped off the internet, and that's a Good Thing(tm) but this is one of the few pieces I remembered liking so here it is.


End file.
